Site 1: First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas), 1861
"It begins to look warlike. We shall probably have a chance to pay our Southern bretheren a visit upon the sacred soil of Virginia very soon. I hope we shall be successful, and give the rebels a good poundin'." -July 16th, Elijah Hunt Rhodes before the battle
"What a horrible sight it was. Here a man, grasping his gun firmly in his hands, stone dead. Several with distorted features, all horribly dirty. Many were terribly wounded, some with legs shot off, others with arms gone. Some so badly wounded they could not drag themselves away, slowly bleeding to death...saw enough to satisfy us with the horrors of war." -Lt. Josiah Favill after the battle
The First Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the war, and morale was high. The battle was so highly anticipated, that civilian carriages brought picnic lunches and champagne to watch the battle, expecting the Union to shut down the Rebels and end the "war". But it turned out to be a far bloodier affair. The Union army's goal was to march from Washington to Richmond, but were met by the Confederate Army at Manassas by Bull Run Creek, who had been told of the federals' plans by a spy. At first, Union victory seemed certain, but Jackson's regiment of rebels held out and attacked the Union from higher ground. The federals suffered a loss with many casualties, resulting in amputations by the minute, dead soldiers piling up on the battle grounds, and the surviving Union wounded getting entagled with the appalled spectators as they fled. Horwitz and Hodge point out other interesting factors about Bull Run. It was a battle of firsts: first battle of the war, first use of railroad to deply troops, first use of the "rebel yell". Also, Disney once tried to turn the hollowed ground into a theme park, but was immediately shot down to respect the War.